The Queen paid her respects to the 4,500 men who died fighting the Nazis on D-Day, as she joined the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at at Sword Beach this afternoon.

Elegant in a pea green coat and a matching hat, the monarch was cheered by fellow heads of state as she made her way into the marquee set up on the beach, although Russia's Vladimir Putin kept his hands by his side.

Meanwhile the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met veterans in Arromanche before journeying on to Gold Beach for a remembrance ceremony on the sand where more than 400 British soldiers died.

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Arrival: The Queen beams as she greets D-Day veterans as she arrives for a ceremony of remembrance at Sword Beach where 683 British soldiers died

Firm friends: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall beam as they enjoy a chat with President Obama ahead of the ceremony at Sword Beach

It's Prince Charming! A gallant Prince Charles puts a smile on the face of Denmark's Queen Margrethe as he plants a kiss on her hand

Paying their respects: Prince William, seen here talking to a veteran, and Duchess of Cambridge were in Arromanches for a tea party with former soldiers

Meeting: During their visit, the royal couple enjoyed a cup of tea with some of the brave men who fought on the beaches in Normandy 70 years ago

Ready
for action: The Queen was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and
President Hollande as she made her way to her seat at the ceremony

Pride of place: Everyone (except Vladimir Putin) clapped and cheered as the monarch made her way to her seat in the centre of the group of heads of state

All smiles: The Queen takes her seat next to President Hollande on his right hand side. Queen Margrethe of Denmark is seated to his left

Gold
Beach is one of two subjected to an assault by British
troops and was the scene of a charge by the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division commanded by
Major General Douglas Alexander Graham, and the 8th Armoured Brigade,
some of whom will be at the ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the
attack.

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Other remembrance ceremonies taking
place today include one on Juno Beach in Courseulles-sur-Mer, where the
Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will join veterans on the
sands where 359 Canadians were killed fighting the Nazis.

The main ceremony, however, was at Sword Beach, which saw Presidents Hollande and Obama, as well as Denmark's Queen Margrethe and
the Netherland's King Willem-Alexander, among those present to pay tribute to the men who died fighting the Nazis.

Sword,
which stretches from Ouistreham to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, is the most
easterly of the D-Day landing sites, and was attacked on the day by the
British 3rd Infantry Division, led by John Crocker and Thomas Rennie.

Convivial:
The Queen arrives at the Chateau de Benouville with France's President
Hollande for a group photo with other heads of state

Friendly chat: The Queen and President Barack Obama enjoy a friendly chat ahead of the group photo at the Chateau de Benouville

Heads
of state: The Queen is joined by Presidents Obama, Hollande and Putin
and Queen Margrethe of Denmark (blue dress) for a photo

Royal
tribute: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall joined the
Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in Bayeux for a remembrance ceremony

Paying their respects: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall joined the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in Bayeux

Near
miss: The wind played havoc with the Duchess of Cornwall's floaty
skirt, which blew up during the ceremony of remembrance for the D-Day
fallen

Never
forgotten: The Prince of Wales salutes during a one minute's silence
for the 4,500 men who were killed fighting the Nazis on D-Day 70 years
ago

On
the right page: The Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of
Cornwall search for the correct page in the order of service at the
Bayeux ceremony

Royal
salute: The Queen stands between French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and
the Prince of Wales as she pays her respects to the men who fell on
D-Day

Giving
thanks: The Queen met British veterans who fought the Nazis 70 years
ago on D-Day as she made her way into the Bayeux Commonwealth Cemetery

Heroes:
Many of the men who spoke with the Queen had fought on Sword, Gold and
Juno Beaches, which were assaulted by British and Canadian troops

Tragic: 1133 British soldiers were killed in the
fighting on D-Day, many as they fought their way up Gold and Sword
Beaches just a few miles from Bayeux

Earlier, the Queen paid tribute to veterans during an emotional ceremony of remembrance at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Bayeux in Normandy this morning.

After
stopping to chat to veterans, many of whom had travelled from as far
away as the US
to be in Bayeux for the anniversary celebrations, the Queen made her
way into the Cemetery, alongside David Cameron, Australia's Tony Abbott
and French prime minister Manuel Valls.

The
Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, both of whom wore naval
uniform, also stopped to speak with delighted veterans, as did the
Duchess of Cornwall who looked wonderful in a cream coat and hat.

Earlier,
the Prince of Wales and his wife had attended a service at Bayeux
Cathedral, which is close to Gold and Sword Beaches where 1133 British
soldiers died on 6th June 1944.

The
Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Bayeux, which was completed in
1952, contains the graves of 4,144 soldiers from the UK, Australia and
the Commonwealth, all of whom died fighting the Nazis during the Second
World War.

Following
the Queen and Prince of Wales at the memorial were David Cameron, New
Zealand's Governor-General Jerry Mateparae and Australian prime
minister, Tony Abbott, all of whom laid wreaths.

Fascinating:
The Prince of Wales listened intently as British D-Day veterans told
him of their experiences during the battle for the beaches

Enjoying
the day: A delighted veteran chats to the Duchess of Cornwall following
the remembrance ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery

Brave
man: The Duchess of Cornwall hears the story of veteran Albert Martin
who was part of the 150,000 strong Allied army that fought on D-Day

Meeting:
The Queen met veterans at the cemetery, which contains the graves of
4,144 Commonwealth troops, as well as those of 500 German soldiers

Commemoration:
The Queen and the Prince of Wales arrive at the Commonwealth War Graves
Cemetery in Bayeux with French PM Manuel Valls

Elegant:
The Queen wore a pea green coat over a floral dress and a matching hat
for the commemoration ceremony during which she laid a wreath

Salute:
The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh salute as the Last Post
is played to mark the sacrifice of the 4,500 men who died on D-Day

Proud
parent: The Queen beams as Prince Charles lays a wreath during
the remembrance ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Ceremony

Tribute:
The Prince of Wales lays a wreath on the war memorial at the
Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Bayeux before saluting next to PM
Manuel Valls

After
the three men had laid their floral tributes, the Queen made a
remarkable speech in which she spoke of her pride in Britain, Australia,
New Zealand and Canada's role in D-Day and thanked the men for making
the journey to Normandy.

'I am very
pleased to be able to join veterans here in Normandy to mark the 70th
anniversary of the D-Day landings,' she said. 'On June 6 1944 after
months of planning and training, the largest amphibious assault in
history was launched to secure freedom in Europe.

'Hundreds
of thousands of servicemen made the journey across the Channel by sea
and air, and through their brave actions and dogged determination,
established a vital foothold in occupied Europe.

'This
immense and heroic endeavour brought the end of the Second World War
within reach. I am sure that these commemorations will provide veterans
of the conflict and their families gathered here in France, along with
their hosts, the people of Normandy, with an opportunity to reflect on
their experiences and the incredible sacrifices that were made.'

After the ceremony,
the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh joined President Obama and the
Prime Minister at a lunch for heads of state and government thrown by
President Hollande at the Château de Bénouville.

The
château is close to Bénouville and Pegasus Bridge, which was famously
taken on D-Day by troops from the British 6th Airborne Division, led by
Major John Howard.

During
the Second World War, it was also a hub for the French Resistance,
which focused Madame Lea Vion, nicknamed La Comtesse, who used it both
for resistance activities and also as a maternity unit for local women.

Paying her respects: The Queen bows her head as she pays tribute to the 4,500 men who died fighting the Nazis on D-Day

Tribute: The Queen looks solemn during a one
minute silence (left) and right, lays a wreath on the war memorial at
the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery

Pride:
The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and the Duchess of
Cornwall stand with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls during the
ceremony

Hold on to your hats! A stray gust of wind threatens to blow the Duchess of Cornwall's hat away during the ceremony in Bayeux

Mark
of respect: The Union flag flies at half mast while the Duke of
Edinburgh and Prince of Wales salute as they mark D-Day with a minute's
silence

The Queen's day will conclude with a state dinner in Paris, where she will be joined by dignitaries and celebrities, including Jane Birkin and the British ambassador to France, Sir Peter Ricketts, at the Elysée Palace.

Tomorrow morning will be spent in Paris, where the Queen will call on the mayor before touring the Marché aux Fleurs which is due to be renamed in her honour.

Following a ceremonial leave-taking at Villacoublay Airport, the monarch will travel home for her final engagement of the week, a trip to the Epsom Downs racecourse for the Derby.

The most prestigious of the five British Classics, the Derby remains the only one that the Queen hasn't yet won. Despite first place having so far eluded her, the monarch did manage a second place finish with Aureole in 1953 and came third in 2011 with Carlton House.

First run in 1780, the Derby is also boasts the largest prize money - £1,325,000 - of any British race, and as a result, attracts some of the world's top equine talent.

Hotly tipped runners in this year's event include the favourite, a chestnut three-year-old named Australia, and his stablemates Orchestra and Geoffrey Chaucer.

Remembrance: The Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales attended a service of remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral this morning

Crowds: Huge crowds of excited locals had
gathered outside the cathedral to see the Prince of Wales and the
Duchess of Cornwall (right with Samantha Cameron) arrive

Respectful:
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls left Bayeux Cathedral following the
ceremony alongside Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall

Salute: The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prime Minister and Samantha Cameron pay their respects to the fallen on D-Day

Remembrance:
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall make their way into
Bayeux Cathedral for a service of remembrance with world leaders

Brave men: D-Day veterans take part in a ceremony of remembrance at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery also attended by the Queen in Bayeux

Sacrifice: A veteran from Australia pays tribute to a fallen friend surrounded by well-wishers carrying the Australian flag in Bayeux

Solemn: Australian prime minister Tony Abbot chats to Australian troops and Normandy veterans during a remembrance service in Bayeux

Packed: The scene at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Bayeux this morning, where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh paid tribute

Tribute:
Commonwealth veterans and French locals pay their respects to the
civilian victims of D-Day at the Caen Memorial alongside French
President Francois Hollande

Mark
of respect: Canadian veterans and their families gathered outside the
Queen's Own Rifles of Canada House on Juno Beach for an early ceremony

Spectacular: The skies over Sword Beach lit up with fireworks at the climax of the remembrance ceremony held in front of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh